Escence of Attor
by Bananas102
Summary: For 4 years Gray Fullbuster had been missing and considered dead. Now when Natsu, Erza, Lucy, and Happy wake up in a slave labor camp for wizards they soon find out a certain Ice Mage has been imprisoned there all along...
1. Chapter 1

"What the hell?" Erza growled, one hand holding the hilt of her sword in a firm grip, the other balled up tightly. "Are you kidding me?" Lucy cried. "We're in the middle of nowhere; why are we being attacked?!" She held her ring of keys in both hands, ready to whip one out in a blink of an eye.

Natsu was in a crouch, both fists encased in flames while his teeth were bared in a feral snarl. Happy drifted above their heads, wings flapping every so often to keep him airborne.

Surrounding them were dozens and dozens of strange, needle-like thorns. Or something similar. They were floating in mid-air, and at any moment they could strike.

Lucy was correct when she said they were in the middle of nowhere. The three of them were forced to work a job together in order to investigate several disappearances of mages travelling through the forest. But before any of the guild members could even begin to sniff around, the strange objects made their appearance.

Another wave darted forward and Lucy ducked while Erza blocked them and Natsu let out a roar, fire blazing hot and bright as it disintegrated most of hem.

Suddenly, Lucy let out a yelp. Erza and Natsu turned to see Lucy grimacing as she held her shoulder, long dark green thorn embedded in the skin and sticking out through her fingers.

"Lucy!" Natsu and Erza yelled in unison. Lucy's vision blurred and she blinked groggily, only to realize she was now on the ground and a pink haired mage was running towards her. That was the last thing she remembered before everything went black.

* * *

When she woke up, the first thing she noticed was that she vaguely felt like throwing up. A groan escaped from between her lips and she used her shaky limbs to sit up. To her left, Erza was on her back, hair splayed out around her head and out cold.

To her right, Natsu was sprawled on his stomach, arms curled almost protectively around his thick head of hair. One of his ankles was sticking out through the bars of the cell. The cell itself was covered in mud, dirt, and rust. the floor, walls, and ceiling were made of metal. The metal itself was rusted, but still strong, proven by the endless array of bloodied scratches adorning it's surface.

A sudden movement in the shadows in the corner of the cell caught her eyes and she breathed a sigh of relief when Happy walked out of the small corner, rubbing his eyes tiredly.

"Happy!" Lucy said. "You okay?" He nodded. "Yeah." Happy saw Natsu's unmoving form. "What happened?" Lucy frowned, eyebrows creased in worry. "I'm not sure. I think we were drugged."

"So we're kidnapped?" a weary voiced asked. Both Happy and Lucy twisted around to see Erza pushing herself upright. "Are you okay?" Happy inquired. Erza waved it off. "I'm fine."

"Where the hell are we?" Natsu rasped, golden eyes peeking through strands of pink as he struggled to rize. "We don't know," Happy told him. Natsu growled and got up onto all fours.

"Screw this, I'm getting out of here," he hissed, a fist rearing back. He slammed it into the bars, and everyone paused. Suddenly Natsu grabbed his hand and let out a pained groan. Erza narrowed her eyes at Natsu. In seconds she strode across the cell and grabbed Natsu's wrist.

Natsu's angry protest died as he laid eyes on the silver band encasing it. The design was very simple with no visible markings of any kind on the outside, and it was so tightly encased on his wrist that there was no way to look inside, let alone get it off.

"What is that?" Happy questioned as Natsu reclaimed his wrist and set to the task of trying to wrench it off. Erza frowned. "When Natsu punched the bars just now, they should have caved. I can only assume that they are blocking the magic."

She gazed at her own wrist. Holding it up, the light gleamed off the bracelet. "We've all got one. Except Happy, anyway." Lucy checked, and sure enough, the stark gray stared back up at her.

"We don't have any choice but to wait. Without our magic, we're defenseless for right now."

* * *

Hours had passed, and not a sound was heard. Suddenly, a door slammed open down the hall and shouting voices reverberated off the stone. "Come on! Come on! Get into yer cells, ya bunch of vermin!" a voiced roared.

People shuffled past and the four occupants quickly shuffled over to the bars. Dozens of people poured into cells. Their skin and tattered clothes were covered in a sheen of sweat and dirt. Every single on of them looked tired and weary.

And all of them sported a silver bracelet.

A guard of some kind, dressed in black clothes that hung loose on his muscled frame, unlocked the door while he gave them a cold glare, as if daring them to try and make an attempt at escape.

Someone approached the cell, and when he padded in, the mages froze in shock.

Gray?

* * *

Gray Fullbuster had been missing for four years, classified dead.

Every Fairy Tail member remembered that day.

_"Gray? Gray, where are you?" Natsu yelled, hands cupping around his mouth. "Gray!" Lucy cried. Suddenly she crashed into Natsu's back. Hard. "Natsu, what-?" her words died when she saw the dumbstruck look on Natsu's face._

_Her eyes swiveled to where he was looking and her inquisitive gaze fell on a broken necklace in a pool of blood. Her eyes widened and a harsh and horrified gasp escaped her throat._

_Erza came through the brush behind them, twigs snapping under the weight of her steel boots. "Did you find him?" A choked sound came from her when she saw the necklace. _

_Juvia was hot on her heels and when the blood crusted cross came into view, it seemed like the world came to an end. _

_"No." Lucy turned scared eyes onto the trembling girl whose tear-filled eyes matched the strands of hairs surrounding her face. Juvia shook her head. "No. No. No! NO! NONONONO!" she shrieked, and her knees buckled. _

_Erza caught her before she hit the ground and Juvia promptly burst into tears, folding in on herself while one hand unconsiously reached out to Gray's necklace. Lucy's eyes filled with tears, her soul filling with anguish at the sound of Juvia's despair._

_Erza herself looked in pain, while at the same time, a little lost and a little angry. Natsu just stood rigid as a board, shaking with fury. Soon it was just too much, and he let out a scream before tearing off into the forest._

_The wizards stumbled into the guild hall hours laters, solemn and silent. Juvia had even gone quiet by then, pale and vacant while tears continued to fall down her cheeks. _

_Search parties were sent out, but no body was found. Natsu set off on his own, unable to deal with that kind of answer. _

_With the amount of blood left and as time went on and on, the guild was forced to list Gray Fullbuster as deceased. _

_And the strongest team in Fairy Tail was shattered._

* * *

"Gray?" Natsu asked with large eyes. He stared up at the shirtless man standing less than twenty feet away. The sound of the cell closing was brushed to the back of his mind.

Gray seemed surprised as well.

While Natsu and the other hadn't changed much in appearance, Gray certainly had. He had a tiny bit of stubble and his dark blue hair had grown so long that it was kept in a ponytail.

His skin was unhealthily pale and there were dark circles under his eyes. He was beaten and battered like the others.

"Natsu." The name was spoken in something akin to reverence. Gray's eyes that were usually dark blue, almost black on regular days and in times of calmness, were now a ocean blue.

Gray eventually got some semblance of emotional control back and his eyes darkened once more, but he was still visibly shaken. "What...What are you guys doing here?" he asked.

Erza was the only one who had a solid lid on things. She rose to her feet, swallowing down every emotion that could cloud her head. "We were drugged and captured. We woke up here a few hours ago, and we discovered these." She held up her arm to show off the bracelet.

Gray nodded mutely, face shrouding over and he seemed to grow weary just from the look of it. "Yes. I assume you figured out it binds your magic?" She nodded. "What is this place?" Lucy asked. Gray looked down, a long strand of hair falling over his eyes.

"This place," he said in a low voice, "is a creation of a dark guild, whose identity I still do not know. It is a...camp, or sorts, for wizards. During the day, the wizards are worked as slave labor, and at night, our magic is drained for their use."

Footsteps stopped Gray from explaining more. He sat down with his back against the wall, on guard and alert and then a guard walked by, giving them a huff of annoyance as if their mere existence irritated him.

After the guard past the cell became enveloped in silence, leaving each wizard to dwell in the chaos of their own thoughts.


	2. Chapter 2

Erza eyed Gray from across the cell. It was late, and Natsu was already asleep, along with Happy and Lucy. But Gray seemed almost resigned to stay awake.

This Gray was not the one they knew. He was different. Not just on the outside, though that was shocking enough and Erza would never get used to him having long hair, but his eyes whispered of a story far different from the one she was familiar with.

But she took a small bit of comfort in the fact that Gray still carried himself like she remembered.

When Gray told them this was a slave labor camp, her thoughts flew back to the past. Knowing Gray had lived through similar horrors and was still doing so made her stomach churn. They were a burden he would carry for a long time to come.

"Get some sleep," Gray murmured. Erza head jerked up as her train of thought screeched to a halt. "I'm not tired," she replied. Gray lifted his chin.

"You will."

Erza swallowed hard. "Why don't you?" Gray glanced over to her, dark eyes unreadable. "I'm waiting," he stated simply. "For what?" Erza asked. Boots on stone shut her up quickly. Gray let one hand drift to the floor like he was preparing to stand.

A guard unlocked the door and walked inside, heading straight for Gray. Natsu began to shift, dragged out of sleep by the sound of the cell door. "Wha..?" he mumbled groggily. Gray looked at him with an expression Erza couldn't label as anything but fond.

When the guard grabbed Gray's bicep, tugging him to his feet without any trace of gentleness, Natsu switched to red alert and the sleep vanished from his eyes quicker than a snowflake melting in a desert.

"Gray?" He didn't respond, just let the guard shove him towards the door. "Hey, what the hell are you doing?" Natsu snarled, leaping to his feet. Gray shook his head. Erza couldn't see his face but whatever the expression was, it stopped Natsu in his tracks and any attack he was about to unleash withered and died.

Lucy had also been awoken by then, but Happy dozed on.

* * *

Gray returned a couple hours later, and by then the guard just dropped him on the floor and left, locking the cell behind him. Gray's breaths were shallow pants. "Gray!" Lucy reached him first, tugging him so he was laying on his back.

Gray was even paler than before, to the point where he looked dead. There was no color in him at all and tremors ran up and down his spine, causing his hands and feet to twitch and spasm involuntarily.

"Gray? Wake up," Natsu prodded, eyebrows creased in worry. "C'mon Gray," Happy pleaded.

They watched as his eyes roamed under his eyelids and then they cracked open. Gray exhaled through parted lips. Natsu smiled. "I knew that wouldn't kill you." A faint smile seemed to grace Gray's lips, but it was so fleeting it might have been nothing more than a hopeful imagination.

Gray's eyes fell closed and his panting grew softer until his breathed in and out evenly. Happy was the first to fall asleep again, curled up by Natsu's side. Natsu was next, looking so childlike and peaceful. Lucy followed suit, and eventually, Erza slept too.

* * *

"COME ON!" A sharp rap on the bars woke the wizards inside. Everyone looked to Gray but he just got to his feet like it was a normal occurance. The cell door was opened and the wizards filed out. Guards kept shouting obscenities as they walked down the hall to the thick steel door at the end.

"Where are we going?" Natsu asked Gray, who had his hands in his pockets. He gestured with his chin to the door. "Outside to work. Don't sweat it, I'll show you how it goes." Lucy frowned. "Shouldn't we concentrate on getting out of here?" Erza nodded. "I agree."

Gray cast them a look. "We'll talk later." One of the other prisoners sidled up to Gray. He looked to be in his late thirties with tousled brown hair and stubble to match Gray's. "The sun's out and broiling today," he said. Gray cursed under his breath. The guy patted him on the shoulder. "Good luck, man." Then he vanished in the sea of people.

The door was opened and bright light flooded in, causing everyone to squint. Outside, there wasn't a cloud in the sky. It was horribly hot as well, so hot that everything seemed to radiate a ridiculous amount of heat.

"Ugh," Gray muttered. The amount of space outside was enormous, and plants filled up all of it. Hundreds, if not thousands, of rows of the same plants. Prisoners milled around. Wheelbarrows were randomly spread out in the aisles and they were being loaded up with either the growing plants or weeds.

"What do we do?" Erza asked, looking the tall plants up and down. They were very big. The stems were as large and two fists put together and about seven feet tall. It was also completely covered in wickedly curved thorns. The leaves were as long as someone's palm and they grew a few inches apart. A few plants sported a single red leaf at the top.

Though golden veins ran up and down the entire plant. "If they have a red leaf, you pull them out and load them into a wheelbarrow," Gray explained, pointing to a mostly rusted one twenty feet down the way. He led them between the rows, going farther and farther away from any guards and the building.

"What are these things?" Happy asked, staring up at them. Gray exhaled through his nose. "They are magical plants called Attor. We grow them for the magical escence inside, which you can see from the veins. In the center of each stem is a long and narrow...pod, or whatever, and it's filled with a kind of golden liquid. It ripens when a red leaf grows on the top."

"What is the escence used for?" Happy inquired. Gray pursed his lips. "I don't know." Natsu looked around. "We're pretty far from the cells." Gray narrowed his eyes at him. "Yeah," he said slowly. "The guards can't see or hear us," Natsu continued. "Yeah."

"Why haven't you just run?" Gray exhaled loudly, two fingers pinching the bridge of his nose. "The entire field is completely surrounded by a forty foot steel wall with barbed wire and enchantments."

"When did that ever stop you?" Natsu asked quietly. Gray froze, but quickly shook it off. "Later," he mumbled. "We should get to work." Erza frowned. "Can they tell if we've worked or not?" Gray nodded.

The wizards cringed. "Jeez, stalker much?" Lucy grumbled. "You guys can do weeding, I'll uproot the Attor," Gray said. "Why are you the only one doing it?" Natsu said, brows creased in irritation.

"Because you don't know how to pull them properly."

"How hard could it be?" Natsu said, reaching towards one. Gray slapped his hand away. "Do you have some of death wish? If the venom from the thorn gets into your bloodstream, you're dead."

Their eyes widened. "Seriously?" Lucy sweatdropped. "I'll teach you how to do it but not today. We need to get started." They began, pulling weeds from around the base of the stems and at the edge of the rows.

Gray pulled them out quickly and easily, laying them gingerly in a forgotten wheelbarrow. For hours they slaves under the broiling sun. While Gray, Lucy, Erza, and Happy were sweating profusely, Natsu had no problem with the heat.

"How on Earth are you not dying?" Lucy panted, wiping the back of a hand against her brow. Natsu shrugged. "I dunno." Happy was sitting out on the sidelines. "This is boring," he grumbled. Erza fumed, and she seemed to grow bigger by the second. Happy squeaked in alarm and started rapidly pulling weeds. Erza nodded in approval before starting up again herself.

"Ice Mage!" Gray stood up to his full height. A guard was beckoning him over. "What does he want?" Natsu growled. Gray said nothing, gracefully weaving through the plants to get to the guard. "We've got a stubborn one a few rows that way." Gray nodded.

The Fairy Tail mages followed him, peeking through a few thorny leaves. Lucy's jaw dropped. "That thing's huge," she choked out. The stem had to be about six inches thick. A prisoner stood next to it, hands rubbed raw and chest heaving.

Gray merely bent down, wove his fingers around the stem and expertly avoiding the tips of any thorns. He gripped it tightly before pulling. He yanked, grunting and straining with the effort. Several feet of dirt churned as Gray slowly pulled it out.

He plopped it unceremoniously onto the wheelbarrow and nodded to the guard before walking back. Natsu gawked at him. "That was so badass," he crowed. Gray merely shook his head. "You're a moron, you know that?" Instead of shooting back an insult, Natsu merely grinned.


	3. Chapter 3

Gray stared as Natsu sat down next to him, very much awake. "What are you doing?" he asked slowly. He had expected Natsu to grin stupidly and say something dumb. But Natsu just looked at him, all too serious, and said, "I'm waiting for them with you."

Gray figured he could do what he wanted, but it would be his fault when he complained about being tired in the morning. They sat in silence, both at ease in the pit of silence. Hours later, the familiar thud of boots had Natsu looking at the door through slitted eyes.

"Time to go, Ice Mage," a guard called as he opened the door. Gray got to his feet, squaring his shoulders. A guard looked at Natsu. "You'll be coming with tomorrow," he said to him. Natsu watched them leave with an almost predatory aura.

* * *

Gray stumbled and Natsu caught his arm before he went face first into a bundle of nasty looking thorns. "You okay?" Gray nodded, eyes unconsiously flickering to the ever so bright sun that was beating down on them relentlessly. "I'm fine."

Natsu gritted his teeth, and for some reason, Gray grinned. Natsu's expression quickly turned to confusion. "Huh?" he asked. Gray's smile grew even wider. "You're still the same after all this time."

The boy cocked his head before shaking it. "C'mon Gray, I don't know what you mean!" he whined, completely making Gray's point. Gray chuckled, brushing a hand through his dark bangs.

"Nevermind." The two went back to work, Natsu stewing in his own mind and trying to figure out what his friend meant. Of course, progress was limited. Gray didn't have as much strength as usual, so the harvest amount for the day gradually decreased.

Gray frowned at the pile worriedly. "This isn't good." Natsu heaved a sigh. "What's wrong?" he asked, glancing at his friend curiously. Gray gestured to the pile at the end of the row. "We haven't pulled as much as we should've. If the pile gets too low, we'll only attract trouble."

Natsu frowned. "I've noticed that you're more tired today. Tomorrow we'll work harder, alright? We'll consider this a rest day." Gray didn't like it, but nodded his agreement anyway.

The salamander grinned. "Awesome! Now we can talk about escape." Gray bristled. "Don't you think I've tried! Escape isn't worth the consequences, Natsu!" Natsu growled, "Not worth it? Coming home wasn't enough for you?" Suddenly, fists were grabbing his collar and a moment later he was on the ground, Gray's furious expression staring down at his own. Though Gray was getting weaker, he was still stronger physically than when he left home, Natsu noted.

"You have no _idea _how much I've wanted to go home! None! I would have given anything!" Natsu's features softened, and Gray's expression turned from one of anger to one of sadness. "But they'll use anything against you. Anything." Natsu watched him for a moment. "Who?" The question was so simple, but yet so hard. Gray let go of his friend with a small shove and got to his feet._  
_

"Someone who cared for me a lot," Gray murmured. His looked up at the sun with one hand shielding his eyes. To his chagrin, he tilted a little too far, and his legs buckled. "Gray!" Strong arms caught his and he blinked a few times.

"Damn," he whispered. "Gray, what's going on?" Natsu demanded. Gray shrugged him off. "It's fine." Natsu growled. "It's not fine! It's from what they do to you at night, isn't it?" Gray nodded.

If Natsu wasn't wearing the blanket, the entire field would've gone up in flames right then.

Erza came around the corner with her arms filled with weeds. "What's wrong?" she demanded, staring intently at the two boys. Gray began to walk away, hands in his pocket and a slight trudge to his step. "Nothing," he called. Natsu rolled his eyes. Erza nearly choked the answer out of Natsu, but figured she would learn of it on her own soon enough.

But she still couldn't help but be concerned.

* * *

"Keep walking!" Natsu was shoved roughly and he tripped, falling to the floor. Gray quickly yanked him up, keeping his head low as the guard barked even louder. "They're a bunch of jerks," Natsu grumbled. "Maybe, but they're the ones who hold the power right now," Gray replied smoothly. "We have to wait." Natsu scrunched his nose. "That's what Erza said."

In the cell, both boys stayed awake. For Natsu it was still a bit difficult, but Gray had his own sleep schedule memorized. When they finally came, the familiar feeling of fear coiled in Gray's stomach. He was alarmed for a moment, only because he hadn't feared the place in over a year. But he realized quickly that it really wasn't fear for him, but for Natsu.

They were lead down the hallway with a few other wizards they picked up from cells. Natsu looked around intently, very much eager to see exactly where Gray'd been going for the last four years. He was a bit surprised when the guards opened up a set of stairs and they were guided down them into an even blacker room.

When torches were lit, Natsu looked around in slight horror at the dozen tables or so lined up in a row. Each of them had at least five kinds of different restraints. Cords were hanging off the sides limply, the ends of which held a needle that was encrusted with the blood of others that came before.

Natsu turned to check and sure enough, little dots of red littered Gray's arms and torso. Suddenly, one of prisoners ran. Guards shouted and the prisoner was cut off from the stairs. Gray just closed his eyes, but Natsu couldn't tear his eyes away. The prisoner was beaten down to the ground, over and over again until they were unresponsive and bleeding badly.

Bile rose in his throat.

The prisoner was lifted onto a table and strapped down. One by one, the other prisoners were strapped down too, but they went down without a fuss, eyes shadowed with memories of what was to come.

Gray was included. He still held a look of subtle defiance, but laid down without a word. Natsu struggled a bit, but was still forced onto the table. Restrains trapped his wrists and ankles, and one went over his mouth, a piece of rubber attached to it. It went in his mouth, most likely to keep him from biting his own tongue off.

He turned his head a little to look at Gray, who was trying to breathe both evenly and deeply. Gray was trying to calm down. Natsu tried to keep that thought from taking root, but that was easier said than done.

Guards began to attach the cords. Gray went first. His brow creased as the needles went in, but nothing more. Natsu glared daggers at the man when he moved to his table and put his cords in. The guards either didn't notice or didn't care. One jogged over to a large switch on a complicated console in the corner and Natsu's eyes ached when he attempted to see that far.

The table at the end began to hum; Natsu could hear it, and the wizard on it began to thrash and scream. The next one came on, then the next. And the one after. Suddenly the cords attached to Gray began to glow a bright blue and Gray arched his back, gag muffling his screams. His body jolted uncontrollably. Natsu's eyes widened and for the first time, he was actually scared.

Then his came on, and his body seemed to rip apart from the inside out.


	4. Chapter 4

Pain. Endless Pain. That was all he knew. That was all he felt. He couldn't even think about begging for it to stop, it was all too much. When it finally shut off, Natsu was sure it had been at least a week, but the rational part of his brain warned that it was only a night.

He gulped in precious lungfuls of air, his throbbing and body stinging. He looked over and with a sinking feeling he watched Gray continue to writhe in agony. Suddenly, Natsu realized Gray was crying.

Crying.

Tears were leaking out of the corners of his eyes, over the white tracks of the tears that came before them. Natsu blinked before discovering he had been too. He could feel the stiffness in his cheeks and he hated it.

These bastards were going to pay dearly.

As the minutes ticked by, Natsu glanced over at Gray, watching him grow clammy, skin pale and sweat beading on forehead and seeping into his hair. The pink-haired man's stomach churned from his body's harsh treatment.

It was at least another hour before Gray suddenly went limp, collapsing back onto the table, shaking hard and his breaths coming in wheezes. Twenty minutes later an the guards finally unstrapped them. Natsu was able to stand, but his head spun. Gray's hand twitched and with a burst of anger, Natsu realized he couldn't stand.

"I'll carry him," Natsu snapped when a guard reached for his long-haired friend. The man stopped and stared at Natsu before nodding. Natsu huffed and picked up Gray, holding him close and walking to the exit.

The guards carried who needed to be carried, while everyone else stumbled along. When they reached their cell, they were pushed in and Natsu twisted his body enough so that his back hit the ground, not Gray. "Oh my God!" Lucy cried, covering her mouth with her hands.

"He's not doing so good," Natsu said shakily, his body still racked with tremors. Lucy managed to get him upright, while Erza made Natsu sit down. "Neither are you," she mumured, placing her hand on his forehead. "You're just a bit warm," she decided. Glancing over at Lucy, where she was feeling for Gray's pulse. She leaned towards Natsu. "You were taken with him, weren't you?"

Natsu nodded. Erza raised an eyebrow, waiting for him to explain. Natsu swallowed. "I don't know how he went through that for four years, Erza. It's torture." Erza's face darkened. "They strapped up down and sucked our magic energy. It hurt so much, but the gags kept anyone from screaming," Natsu snarled. Erza's eyes were ablze with fury.

"I'll kill them," Natsu growled.

* * *

Gray was getting weaker everyday, leaving Natsu confused as to why he turned out with nothing more than inner body pains. "You get used to it for a while before going downhill. But then again you're a salamander, so you could be used to it for a longer time than anyone else."

"I'm not trying to sound ungrateful that we haven't been there, but now come we haven't been taken too?" Lucy asked. Gray blinked. "They'll take you in eventually. But someone has to die first so a spot opens up."

Silence.

"I'm gonna be sick," Lucy whispered. Erza patted her on the back sympathetically.

Gray stumbled, tripping forward until he caught the edge of the wheelbarrow. "Dammit," he growled at himself. "You're really dying," Lucy choked out. "I didn't survive all this time just to die now," Gray snapped. Natsu was ready to give him a punch, but he wasn't sure if that was beneficial to his health.

"Hey, don't take your anger out on her!" Natsu fired back. Gray sighed, standing up shakily. "I'm sorry," he mumbled. Lucy gave him a watery smile. "It's fine." Gray scrubbed a hand over his face.

"I've stuck through it all, and you know what? I'll be damned if I die now." Erza smiled, scarlet eyes twinkling with determination. "Good to hear."

* * *

"Sorry, Gray. But we're making an escape attempt, whether you like it or not."

Gray made a face. "You've only been here a little over a month. Why now?" Lucy crossed her arms stubbornly. "Why do you think? the best way to help you is to get you out."

The ice mage gritted his teeth. "And when you all get killed, how's that supposed to help?" Erza leaned forward. "I thought you refused to die here. Unless you lied."

Gray huffed, folding his arms across his chest. "I didn't lie." A strand of blue hair fell in front of his face and Gray blew it out of the way. "It's just very risky." Natsu froze. "Risky? I thought you said it was impossible."

Gray's eyes widened when he realized what he said. "Crap," he muttered. "Spill," Erza ordered. "Now." Gray exhaled through his nose. "The only way to get out of the prison is to die. If the guards declare you dead, they'll remove your body and take you to the warehouse on the other end of the complex, where they burn the bodies. A few hallways down, is the entrance to the dark guild's hideaway. Get through the hideaway, you're home free."

"Why did you waste all this time by just telling us this now?" Lucy exclaimed.

"Because even if you somehow manage to convince the guards you're dead, and somehow manage to knock them all out before they toss you onto the bonfire, you still wouldn't be able to get into the hideaway without getting rid of the bracelet. And after that, you have all the members of a dark guild on your ass."

"Oh," Lucy said.

"We can do it," Natsu argued. Gray raised an eyebrow. "Really? How?" Natsu blanched. "Um...uh," he stammered.

"Exactly."

Erza glared at them both. "Shush. Now, we need someone with patience, strength, beauty...," she listed on and on, oblivious to the skeptical looks she was receiving. "Okay, so Erza goes. How are you going to get the bracelet off?"

"I assume you've already tried to remove them in the past," Erza supplied, eyebrows raised expectantly. Gray nodded, shifting his arms. "I tried cutting it off, wrenching it off; I even considered severing my hand to get it off." Lucy looked a little green, while Natsu was simmering in his own anger again.

Lucy leaned forward, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "What about burning? You know, melting it off." Both girls looked at Gray, who shook his head. "No. I had no way to try." Erza tapped her chin. "It's settled. And once I get the bracelet off my magic will come back, so there's no worry there."

Gray still looked doubtful, but nodded anyway. "Alright."


	5. Chapter 5

Erza had been taken away that morning.

She'd put herself under into a deep state of meditation so her heart heart slowed down considerably.

Everyone had held their breath, waiting for the guard to discover her. But he didn't, just slung her over his shoulder and walked out. The other three went about their business.

In the fields, they split up, both to have some time to themselves, and to make the impression that they didn't really know each other. If the guards made the connection, they could be killed in a show of superiority.

* * *

Lucy kept trying to breathe evenly. In and out.

She had to stay calm. She was kneeling on the hard ground, sharp pieces of dried dirt poking at her knees. She grabbed at the small wiry plants that grew in the shaded spots of the Attor.

They were rooted deep into the ground, making them difficult to get out for anyone who wasn't Natsu, Gray, or Erza. Natsu. Lucy had noticed the change in her friend's behavior. Every single one.

Natsu's face had gone pale, his fluffy pink hair stringy with sweat. His eyes, though tired, were a constant blaze of worry, anger, and fear. He was always a bit of a mess every time he came back from being drained.

Jittery, exhausted, and a bit terrified.

Erza carried a haunted look in her eyes, choosing to sit alone and stare off into space. She seemed to be taking their imprisonment pretty hard, but yet taking it oddly well. She didn't get angry that often but she didn't crack a smile as often as anyone else, Gray included.

Gray. He seemed to be in the biggest mess of all. Tired and worn down, that stubborn spirit that had once rivaled Natsu's was now beaten into submission. It hurt her to see him like that. He was one of her close friends, and she would die for him if need be; she die for any one of her friends.

Then there was the fact that he was getting worse everyday he was dragged downstairs and drained.

Lucy just prayed they could get out, and soon.

* * *

Erza was seated in the shadows of the room, holding her burned arm to her chest and trying to concentrate on the magic that was seeping back into her veins.

The stench of the room was so putrid, she nose wrinkled on instinct. Knowing what exactly was being burned didn't help her stomach stop churning either. It was so hot her hair was damp with sweat.

She had to wait until the others arrived.

It could be hours, it could be days. A week, even. But she would wait.

* * *

Natsu felt like crap, so he could only imagine how Gray felt. How much could someone take of that kind of treatment and not be mentally scarred? Natsu was frightened for everyone. Lucy was so sensitive, who knows how this kind of experience could effect her.

Then there was Erza, who was kind of on edge and anti-social as of late. They were all tired, with bags under their eyes and a pale complexion. The only thing in their favor was that they'd grown physically stronger with all of the hard labor they'd gone through.

And then there was the matter with Gray, which had Natsu fuming every time he thought about it. Gray was dying, and there was no denying it. He looked really bad, pale and shaky.

He hadn't let anyone know, but he was pretty sure Gray was hiding something about his health. Natsu was going to confront him, but it had to wait for now, no mater how much the salamander wanted to punch him in the face.

* * *

Gray wasn't sure if the plan could work, and he was terrified of what would happen if it didn't.

They could die, all of them. The ice mage could only prey that he died too if that happened. He couldn't live through being abandoned like that again, left alone in this godforsaken camp.

As Gray uprooted weeds, his breath grew laboured. A swelling grew deep withing his chest and Gray put the small plants down. He suddenly broke into a harsh coughing fit, wheezing loudly and hacking into his fist.

His body jerked with every cough and his throat burned. When it died down, Gray's stomach plummeted.

In his palm, bright flecks of red dotted his hand, stark against his pale skin. Gray hurriedly wiped it in his pants, wiping his mouth roughly to get any blood off of there. He couldn't die now. Not when he was so close.

But he was running out of time.


	6. Chapter 6

Within three days, everyone except Gray made it to the bonfire and crouched in the shadows, waiting for his arrival while they nursed their weakened magic.

Considering that this wasn't his first escape attempt, Gray was a bit skeptical of the guards so blindly believing he was dead. But then again, a rumour of a disease in his cell had started and he'd been confined there with the half-hearted expectation of death.

The guards that had known him since before he arrived were taking bets on how long it would take before he kicked the bucket.

"Never imagined that the little snowflake would croak so soon," one chuckled.

"You never know, the freak could pull through. You've seen how stubborn he can be," another one said evenly.

"Have you seen him?" the first guffawed. "Death is already digging his grave."

In the cell, Gray scowled.

* * *

"Ha! I knew it! The little bugger died!"

"Dammit, I thought he'd last a bit longer."

"That's right, now you owe me money."

"Stupid freak cost me good."

Gray felt a boot nudge his side, but he just pulled back into his own mind.

He was lifted up and tossed over a shoulder. As he was taken down the hall, he could hear the other prisoners murmuring. "I can't believe he died," someone whispered. Another piped up from a different direction. "No one can last forever. Not here."

Gray just detached himself from his senses, dwelling in a numb state of mind.

But when a sudden burst of heat hit him a few minutes later, he could help a tremble. The guard stopped, and he could almost _feel _him staring at his face. Suddenly, the guard was falling and Gray's eyes snapped open in time to see the floor rushing towards his face.

A hand caught his wrist and he turned awkwardly so he landed on his side. He winced. Lucy grinned and helped pull him to his feet, while Natsu looked like he wanted to rough up the guy on the ground a little bit more.

Erza padded up to him with what seemed to be a small poker, the end glowing a bright cherry red. "We should get that off," she said, nodding at his silver bracelet. Gray swallowed, his heart thrumming. It was finally coming off.

"Hold on," Lucy blurted. She scratched her scalp. "Is it safe? I mean, he's been wearing the thing for four years and his magic has been building up for a while, so what if there's some kind of explosion?"

Gray cocked his head. "Did it come rushing back when yours came off?" Lucy shook her head. "So even if there is, we should have some time before I wig out." Erza nodded and pressed the hot metal to the bracelet.

The ice mage gritted his teeth as the melted metal dripped down his wrist. Lucy quickly wiped them off with a dirty rag she must have found somewhere. When all that was left was a wicked burn, Gray looked down at his skin in wonder.

"It's off," he said in surprise. Natsu smiled, throwing an arm over Gray's shoulders. Gray huffed and shrugged it off, making the fire wizard's smile grow. "We should go," Erza said.

Gray lead the way, slipping out of the room and creeping down a long hallway to arrive and a doorway. On the other side, the room was shiny and expensive, clean and pristine.

One by one, they snuck through the doorway, everyone holding their breath in case an alarm went off. When there was none, there was a collective sigh of relief. Gray walked towards one of the halls and turned left.

The air was crisp and cool, and for a moment, Gray wondered if this was heaven. But he quickly shook the thought away with a mental slap for himself. Now was really not the time.

Shoes thudded on the floor ahead of them and everyone dived into the nearest room, Erza closing the door silently behind them. The room they were in seemed to be for record, judging by the half open file cabinets jumbled together in every corner.

But instead of being sorted by name or date, Gray noted, the tags on the front listed them by importance. He wandered across the room to the cabinet marked 'VERY IMPORTANT' and slid it open. Inside, it was again sorted by a different system, now by powers. There were only two ice mages. He pulled put one and saw his own face stamped on the front.

He pulled out the other and everything stopped. The next thing he knew, a certain pink-haired fire breather was waving his hand in front of his face in a most annoying fashion.

"Are you back now? Jeez, what was that about? Who is she?" Gray realized what he was talking about and looked down at the page in his hands. The face of his teacher looked back up at him.

"It's my teacher." Natsu's eyes widened. "The one who taught you ice magic?" Gray nodded. "She was here," he whispered. A hand came to rest on his shoulder. Gray looked up into red irises. "I know this is hard, Gray, but now is not the time for grievances."

He nodded, clearing his throat. "Right." Out of the corner of his eyes he saw Natsu eyeing him worriedly.

Gray ignored him.

* * *

Suddenly, Gray stopped. "That's it," he breathed in wonder.

"What?" Lucy asked. Gray pointed to a purple doors, shiny and new. "That's it, that's the exit." Natsu frowned at it like an child receiving a sweater at Christmas. "Are you sure?"

Gray swatted him upside the head. "Yes!" Natsu rubbed his head. "Ow, you-" Gray puffed out his chest. "Wha? Huh? What?" he demanded, and the two prepared for a showdown. Lucy face palmed and Erza cracked her knuckles, ready to beat some sense into the two if need be.

Luckily, they deflated on their own.

"Okay, then," Natsu grumbled. Gray huffed and led the way, reaching over and turning the knob easily. As soon as the door opened, sunlight streamed in. It was blinding until their eyes grew used to it, and they found it was true, that was the exit.

Into a desert.

Suddenly, a red light started flashing, seconds later followed by a shrill alarm. They quickly made their choice and began running, Happy still watching everything silently. The group dashed into the sands, praying that they were running towards home.


	7. Chapter 7

"Excuse me? Miss? Are you alright?" Erza raised her head and looked up at the elderly man crouched in front of her, eyebrows knitted in concern. She reached towards him. "P-Please, you have to help them," she wheezed, cracked lips ripping painfully.

"Who? Did you come from the desert?" the older man asked. Erza nodded. "My friends...they're still out there...a bit behind me...please...they're dying...help them," she breathed before her world went spiraling into darkness.

* * *

When she woke up again, it was to Happy drifting over her face. He grinned. "You're awake!" She sat up, feeling a bit thirsty. Looking to her right, everyone else was laid up in a row of beds, still out cold.

"ERZA'S AWAKE!" Happy yelled. Laxus was actually the first one to sidle in. "About time." Erza was still eyeing her comrades. "How are they?" Laxus shrugged. "We won't know until they wake up."

Suddenly, Juvia stuck her head in. "I just heard, are you-?" she broke off as her eyes found the person laying in the end bed. She slowly walked in, a hand reaching out to him without thinking.

As soon as her fingertips brushed his temple, travelling down his cheek and on his jaw, her eyes began to water.

"Gray?" she whispered. Silence hung in the room. Juvia sat down on the edge of the bed, content with just looking at him as she began to cry. Footsteps sounded down the hall and fast approaching.

Laxus stuck his head out before leaving and whispering something to the person outside. The person was suddenly running. "Gray!" Lyon exclaimed, catching himself on the doorframe as he skidded to a stop.

His gaze was glued on his childhood friend and he approached much like Juvia had, slow and cautious, as though Gray would disappear if he wasn't careful.

"Oh my God, you're alive."

* * *

Gray was still asleep and no one wanted to disturb him. Natsu and Happy, Lucy, and Erza sat in the guild hall, the other members surrounding them in the promise that they would tell them everything that happened.

As they explained the story: their capture, Gray, the system of the camp they were in, even the bracelets and the burns on their wrists that would probably scar, the anger on everyone's faces built and built.

"And that's when I woke up," Erza finished. Lyon gritted his teeth. Mirajane covered her mouth with her hands. "Oh, that's terrible!"

Makarov fumed dangerously. "They hurt my children...it should be burned to the ground!" he growled. Natsu looked delighted by the prospect, and Lucy had an air of determination around her.

"Believe me, I would take great joy in doing so, but I don't think any of even remember how find it again. It's not like we were awake for the trip there," Erza said, much to everyone's dismay.

"I was," a voice said quietly. Everyone turned in unison to see Gray leaned against the doorway, face drawn with weariness. "Gray!" Juvia cried, running to him with the intention of a full-body tackle. Lyon quickly swept her off her feet (literally) and set her down when she calmed.

"I don't think he's quite up for hugs yet Juvia," he said in amusement. Lucy quickly stood while the guild members erupted in chatter and excited shouts. "Gray, are you alright?"

Gray swallowed and ignored her question, too occupied in looking around the guild hall like it was a dream. "I'm finally home," was all he said. Several guild members burst into tears, Juvia included.

"You shouldn't be up, Gray," Makarov warned. Gray nodded slowly. "I just wanted to see it," he replied. Suddenly he was coughing, loud and hard, so he was doubling over and standing on shaky legs that seemed ready to give out at any moment.

Lyon was by his side in a flash. "Gray, are you okay?" He stopped, and his eyes widened. Gray's hand was covered in drops of blood, and there was trail of it coming from the corner of Gray's mouth. "What the hell?"

Natsu was on his feet instantly. "What? How are you still sick? Your bracelet is off and your magic isn't being drained!" Makarov studied Gray for a moment, eyes sad. "I'm afraid the damage is done," he rasped.

Gray blinked a few times, like he couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Oh," he murmured, tone resigned. Both Lyon and Natsu raged. "There's gotta be something," Natsu argued. "Don't accept it, Gray," Lyon snapped.

Mirajane snapped her fingers before turning her gaze on Makarov. "You said something new had appeared on the black market from an unknown source." The Matser nodded. "No one knows what it is or what it does."

Lucy turned on Gray. "The dark guild was making something with the essence. What was it?" Gray shook his head as Juvia sat him down in a chair. "I don't know."

"That's gotta be it!" Natsu exclaimed. Erza looked over at Gray, who was wiping the blood from his mouth. "Could you show us the way back?" Gray nodded. Juvia frowned. "I don't think he should be going on that kind of journey with how sick he is. It might make him worse!"

Gray looked up at her. "Juvia," he began. Juvia heart skipped a beat, chest swelling with a passion she hadn't felt in years. "I'm pretty I'm dying. And even if the plant back there can't see me, I want to be there to see that place fall to the ground."

She swallowed.


	8. Chapter 8

Lyon tugged on the end of Gray's ponytail. "I never would have imagined you would grow it out so long," he teased. Gray slapped his hand away, scowling playfully. Lyon smirked.

Juvia was practically. "He looks great with it," she gushed. Erza rolled her eyes, but she was smiling too. They had used transportation magic to get a long way there, but the guild had to remain a bit of a distance away to avoid being immediately spotted, to Natsu's dismay.

Suddenly, a two buildings came into sight, one dirty and small, the other shiny and big. The smaller one had the field next to it, so it had to be the where the kept the prisoners.

Gray swallowed hard, face scrunched in disgust and hatred. Lyon watched him carefully before turning his gaze towards the place that had kept Gray imprisoned for years. The place that would kill him if that stupid plant didn't save him.

Natsu charged up to the wall and slammed his body through the stone, leaving a gaping hole in his wake. Everyone followed him inside. "What the hell are you doing here?"

Gray turned to see a slim looking man with short black hair and beady eyes looking at their group in discontempt. The man's eyes widened when he saw the ice wizard. "You," he spat, pointing his finger accusingly. "You're the one that's caused all our problems."

Erza stepped forward, her red bangs falling over her eyes. "The essence of the plant. What do you make with it?" The man suddenly smiled, as if he had just been waiting for a chance to answer that.

"I'm one-hundred and eighty eight years old," he declared, revelling in the surprise on their faces. "What do you think? I look pretty good." He squinted at Erza. "Oh, I see. You're here for some of the Attor disks. In exchange for what?"

Before anyone could even answer the man glared at Gray. "You give me that rat and I'll give you a years worth." Natsu and Juvia opened their mouths to argue, but Erza held up a hand.

"What does it do, _exactly_?" she asked. The man smoothed down his shirt. "It keeps your body healthy. Simple, right? Except by doing so, you become immortal, to a degree. You must keep taking the disks for the effects to continue."

Lyon spoke up. "If you were, say, dying by extreme magical causes, would that make a difference?" The man shook his head. "No. You'd still function normally if you took the disks every day."

Erza nodded at Lyon while understanding dawned on the other four. "How much do you have in stock?" The man scratched his chin.

"Well, if I took my supply as well, along with the other three's...hmm, I'd have to say about twenty years." He didn't say another word because of the sword that had lodged itself in his chest.

"Deal," Lyon finished. The man choked, blood seeping into the fabric of his shirt and dripping onto the floor. He crumpled to the floor. "It's gotta be in here," Juvia said, pointing at the double doors that the man had been standing in front of.

Erza nodded and Natsu kicked the doors off their hinges. Inside the room, three men flinched at the noise. They turned towards the door. Upon seeing the intruders, they began to attack, throwing odd bomb-like potions. They ducked, and Lyon took out one of the men. Erza did the same.

Natsu landed in front of the last, who trembling and looking around in fear. "You seemed like a big, strong guild to think you had the right to do this to people," Natsu snarled. "But you're all a bunch of cowards!"

"FIRE DRAGON...ROOOAAR!"

And that was the end of the dark guild.

Gray clutched his chest and dropped to his knees before he began coughing up small pools of blood. He coughed so hard he threw up, the contents nothing more than liquid scarlet.

The ice mage began to wheeze as his chances for air grew less and less. "Gray!" Juvia cried, kneeling next to him, her hands flitting across his skin becase she didn't know what to do.

"Find the disks! Now!" Lyon ordered. The others scoured the room. "Here!" Lucy thrust open a small door to reveal boxes and boxes of small golden disks. she threw one at Lyon, who snatched it out of thin air and ran to Gray.

Gray was on his back, grey skin and breaths coming in light wheezes. Lyon shoved the disk into Gray's mouth and shut it. "C'mon, swallow," he begged. Then, Gray's throat oved, signaling he swallowed it.

Lyon held his breath while Juvia searched Gray's face for any sign of change. Suddenly, Gray took in a big lungful of air, eyelids fluttering before closing again. Juvia sobbed in relief, collapsing against Gray's chest. Lyon exhaled. Everyone sighed.

"Let's get him home," Erza said.

* * *

Gray opened his eyes, blinking sluggishly. The first thing he saw was Lyon's grinning face. Gray frowned, a small groan escaping his lips. "He's awake," Lyon called. Loud footsteps, and people came rushing in.

Juvia, followed by Natsu, who was crashed into by Lucy, and everyone was pushed forward by an irritated Erza. "My beloved Gray," Juvia sighed happily. What Gray didn't know was that that very sentence hadn't been uttered in four years, and boy had Juvia been waiting to say it.

"Hey, Gray," Ntaus greeted. Lucy smiled at him and Erza nodded in approval. "What happened?" Gray asked, sitting up. To his surprise, he felt fie. Great even, compared to how he'd felt over the years.

"You were dying, and we fed you a disk in time to save your life," Lyon explained. Gray nodded. He knew the disks couldn't cure him, but they would keep him healthy and alive if he kept taking them everyday.

"So what happens now?" Lucy asked. "Does everything goes back to normal?"

Natsu grinned. "Yeah. Everything's back to the way it should be."

* * *

**I hope you liked it! I know I have some embarrassing spelling errors here and there and I promise I'll fix them. I must confess the 'disk' idea came from my recent obsession with butterscotch :P Anyway, I've started a prequel called 'Attor', mostly because I wanted a detailed account of what happened to Gray inside the the camp. Who he met, how he tried to escape, ect. I also plan on building off of this story, you know, having other stories that include Gray and him taking the disks (possibly losing them, someone stealing them, I don't know yet) PLEASE review, I swear to you, it makes my day.**

**I got a review about them wanting to include Gray's teacher, the infamous Ur (or however you spell it) and I'm sorry but I didn't know how to better include her. But if you like, I can make a small chapter story about her time there if anyone would like?**

**R&R! Bye :D**


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